Death of Gotham
by Slightly Awkward Fangirl
Summary: Kinda Injustice. Joker blows up Gotham and pushes Batman off the edge. The Justice League is gonna try their best to bring Bruce back. Its kinda the Batman Who Laughs but minus the batsuit. Evil!Bruce (We need more evil Batman fanfictions c'mon people start writing.)
1. Interrogation

_***Does not own any of the characters and such.***_

Clark slammed his hands on the table. Hard.

"How did you get your hands on that bomb?"

The Joker took a glance at the dents left on the table by Superman. He didn't show any signs of fear. Instead, he laughed. It was a sound that chilled Clark to his bones.

The Man of Steel's eyes started glowing red in frustration. They have been sitting in the interrogation room for more than half an hour now and Clark hasn't gotten any closer to finding out how the Joker had successfully gotten a nuclear bomb into Gotham and detonated it without the Batman finding out than when he had started.

It was to be expected though. The man sitting before him had gone toe to toe with the Batman on more than one occasion. If the best of the best couldn't get any information out of him, what hope did Clark have of achieving any success?

His thoughts were interrupted by the Joker, who had stopped laughing and was opening his mouth to say something.

"How's old Batsy doing, anyways? Did he like my present?" He was grinning from ear to ear. The clown knew perfectly well how Bruce was feeling right now. "I'd hate for all my efforts to go unappreciated, you know."

Clark gritted his teeth and sent Joker a glare that would've made the Batman proud. Ten million people. Gone. Bruce was the only Gotham citizen left alive that they knew of.

Whats worse, the Joker had somehow captured and killed his family. Dick, Tim, Damian and Alfred. He even hanged them up and carve a big smile into each of their faces for the Batman to see. Superman could only imagine what Bruce was feeling right now.

His comm beeped. Someone was trying to contact him. He sent Joker another glare before answering the caller.

"Kinda busy over here," Clark sent a hateful look the Joker's way.

"Superman! Is he there?" It was Diana, or as the public called her, Wonder Woman. She sounded panicked.

Clark was just about to ask her who she was talking about when his super hearing picked up a soft thud coming from the outside. He suddenly had a pretty good idea of who Diana was talking about.

"I've got to go."

"Wha-" Was all he could hear from Wonder Woman as he hurriedly cut off the comm link, just before the door slowly creaked open to reveal a figure dressed in a green vest and light grey patterned shirt. It was Bat- Bruce Wayne?!

"...Bruce?"

...

Superman sounded confused. The Joker took his eyes off the Man of Steel and turned to look at the man standing in front of the door. The corners of his lips curled upwards into a sick smile.

"Well. Well. Well. Look who we have here..." The Clown Prince of Crime tilted his head ever so slightly to the side, a cruel smile on his face. "Bruce Wayne, Prince of Gotham."

A pause

"Batman."

The Joker could see Superman freeze at the mention of the billionaire's alter ego. He was obviously confused by this new development. He seemed to shake out of his stupor when Bruce took a step forward, seemingly unfazed by the new revelation that the Joker knew who he was.

"Bruce..." Superman was stepping towards him, unsure of what to do next. Bruce didn't even spare him a glance.

"Out."

The Man of Steel obviously seemed taken aback by the coldness in the man's voice. Though he eventually complied and walked out of the interrogation room, no doubt heading for the one sided glass in the room next door.

The door hadn't even close before the Joker opened his mouth.

"Liked my present?" He smiled his sinister smile once again, ready for the Dark Knight to start pummelling him into a pulp.

To his surprise and amusement, the man only returned his smile and locked the door behind him. The lock made a satisfying click. Bruce then slowly made his way towards him.

"Still so quiet, eh Batsy? Wished your kids were as quiet as you though... Couldn't stop screaming insults at me! I took care of that, though." He grinned once more. Surely that would've gotten to him!

But if the other man had felt anything at all, the Joker sure as hell couldn't see it. Mentioning dead kids usually worked on the old Bats though... The other Robin, shooting Gordon's girl. The guy must have some kind of attraction to kids or something.

Instead of answering him, the billionaire simply choose to sit on the chair opposite to the clown. He sat on the chair backwards, his arms resting on the top rail of the chair like how they did it on tv.

There was an uneasy silence. The Joker didn't like this. Usually it would be fun. He loved poking fun at the Dark Knight, trying to push him off the edge and basically making his life a living hell.

Today though, it was kind of scary. Like, Bats wasn't punching his nose in or ripping his arms out. Hell, he wasnt even wearing that ridiculous bat suit of his! He was wearing a green vest and this light grey patterned shirt. Didn't really seem rich-persony either... Actually, it seemed kinda familiar.

His eyes lit up and his lips curled into that infuriating smile of his. "Oh, Batsy!" He teased, "Don't go trying to steal my style! Its one of a kind, you know..."

Bruce's eyes went to what the joker was wearing. The clown knew that the other man already knew what he was wearing though. They have fought for so long that frankly, Joker would feel insulted if he didn't know.

"I only took your colour scheme." Came his curt reply.

Once again the silence settled over them. No one spoke for a whole minute.

"Do you wanna know why I became the Batman?"


	2. Grief

_***Does not own any of this***_

Clark nearly spit out the coffee he was drinking.

As soon as he had gotten out of the interrogation room, he had indeed made a beeline for the room next door so that he could see what was going on inside through the one-sided glass.

The floor was littered with unconscious bodies of guards that Bruce had no doubt taken out on his way to the interrogation room. The guards in the room with the one sided glass were unconscious too. From the looks of it, they wouldn't be waking up for a few hours.

He had also contacted Diana and informed her that things were fine and she didn't need to rush over there at supersonic speeds.

Bruce hasn't made a move to do anything threatening yet. In which Clark was relieved for, considering how the madman had blown Gotham sky high. But something was off about him. For one, he wasn't in costume. Also because of what Bruce had just said.

"Do you wanna know why I became the Batman?"

Clark had to summon every ounce of his willpower to resist the urge to burst in there, grab Bruce by the collar and demand to know what he did to the real Bruce Wayne.

Batman always has a planHe told himself. He sincerely doubt that it was a good plan though.

He could see that the Joker was similarly surprised. Obviously he hadn't expected for the Dark Knight to ask such a question. He slowly nodded, pale face full of confusion.

"A long, long time ago, there was a boy." Bruce started. His face seemed devoid of emotion. It was like nothing was real to him.

"He had best parents a boy could ever ask for. They loved the boy, and the boy loved them too."

The Joker nodded slightly, encouraging the man to go on.

"One day, the happy family were exiting the theatre. They had just finished watching a movie. It was the best day they've ever had. The left, thinking that nothing could ever spoil that moment." Bruce paused. "Boy, were they wrong."

"They turned into a street known as Park Row. They boy's father had told them that it was a shortcut. He had told them it was perfectly safe. But then, a man appeared out of the shadows. He held the family at gunpoint and demanded they hand over all their valuables."

"The family complied. Anything to stay alive, right? But in the commotion, the boy's mother had forgotten about the string of pearls around her neck. Unfortunately, the man noticed those pearls, and shot the mother. His father ran to help her, but was shot too."

"Only the boy, who had been too afraid to move, survived. So he knelt there in the blood of his parents, surrounded by their bodies and the bloodstained pearls that had cost his parents their lives."

"Right then, kneeling in the blood of his dead parents, the boy made a promise. Never again would a child lose their parents in a dark alley over stupid pearls. Never again would criminals run rampant and have innocents pay the price."

The Dark Knight looked right at the Joker. The clown didn't flinch under his intense glare. Instead, he grinned. "So the bat's already had one bad day..." The clown mused, "I wonder what happens, when he's had... two."

At this, Bruce immediately dropped his cool facade. A hand grabbed the Joker's hair and pulled his head back, leaving his throat very vulnerable for the switchblade now aimed at it.

Clark wasted no time and immediately crashed through the glass keeping the two rooms apart. He hadn't even opened his mouth when he began doubling over in pain. His eyes settled on a familiar glowing piece of rock sitting on the table between the two arch enemies.

His hands flew to his comm link and tried calling for someone but there was no response. Bruce must've deactivated it. And so, he had no choice but to watch and pray that he friend would not do anything he'll regret.

"Everything I did, I did with hope for a better Gotham," It was a silent whisper, full of rage and sorrow. "I spent my whole life dedicating everything I had to Gotham. AND YOU TOOK IT FROM ME"

The Joker shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a nice guy!"

Obviously that wasn't true. Bruce started pulling his hair harder. "I'm so tired of being the good guy." Clark could see him slowly moving the switchblade up the Joker's throat until it was positioned right above his mouth. "So very tired of always being the one that loses everything."

"I've thought this over for quite some time, Joker." Bruce was slipping the blade inside the clown's mouth and bringing it to the corner of his lips. "So many years, you've been trying to push me over the edge. I guess you've won. I mean, If you can't fight 'em, why not join 'em?"

"But first, I'm going to make sure every Gotham villain left dies. Then, I'll take care of the others. Can't have too much competition, am I right?" He grinned.

Clark's mouth went dry when he realised what was gonna happen next.

"Bruce, no!"

But it was too late. Bruce had already started cutting away at the Joker's lips. The clown laughed, as if he was being tickled. Finally finished cutting up his face, Bruce stood back his work before snapping the Joker's neck.

The Caped Crusader slowly straightened up and dropped the now lifeless body of his enemy beside him. He slowly walked over to Clark, who was still suffering from the green kryptonite radiation. He picked up the kryptonite on the table as he did so.

"Sorry you had to see that, old friend." He heard Bruce mumble. He could see the sadness in his eyes. There was no going back now. Bruce knew full well what he had done.

Then everything went black. He had been knocked out.


	3. Clown Princess of Crime

_***I literally have no idea where I'm trying to go with this story. I just loved the idea of the Joker's unpredictability combined with Batman's genius intellect. Also angst is great. I admit its a horrible story though. I can't do angst properly.***_

 _ ***I also do not own any dc characters. Wished I did.***_

...

Harley woke up to the sound of someone screaming.

"Didja hear that, Mr. Wall?" She asked, looking at the padded walls of her cell in Arkham Asylum.

"Sure did," The wall replied. Eyes had appeared on its white paddings, and the cracks between each padding served as it's mouth. "Who do you think it is?"

More screams. It seemed to be coming from down the hallway. This time, it was accompanied by laughter.

Harley's eyes lit up. "Do ya think it's Mistah J, Mr. Wall?" She quickly got up and rushed to the door. There was a small rectangular window there in which she used to peek at the other side. "Maybe my puddin' came to save me!"

"No way. The laughter sounded different." He paused and seemed to ponder something for a moment. "Besides, he ditched you."

The woman sighed and looked out the small window wistfully. "A girl can hope..."

The footsteps seemed to be getting closer. Harley's cell was located at the very end of the hallway. After passing her cell, whoever it is would have to turn a corner to access the East Wing. She should be able to take a look at the person when he passed.

The footsteps seemed to stop every few seconds and would be followed by the sound heavy metal cell doors opening. Sometimes, she could hear someone scream. Whoever it is seemed to be killing every Arkham inmate he came across. Maybe Harley would be able to get a good look at the guy's face when he opened her door!

The person would be passing at any second now. Harley watched in anticipation. Mr. Wall was very quiet too! Maybe he was also curious...

Finally, the person come into view. Apparently the person was a guy. He was dressed quite well for someone who was randomly killing people in Asylums. He wore a green vest, with a long sleeved shirt to match. Harley couldn't make out what colour it was though. And sadly, half his face was covered by the shadows. Something about him also reminded her of her ex-boyfriend. Maybe it was the green vest. Probably.

The man seemed to catch her looking at him. He didn't open the door to her cell and try to kill her though. Instead, he flashed her a brilliant smile. Then he was on his way, as if he never saw Harley in the first place. She didn't know why, but the smile seemed kinda familiar...

She quickly turned to look at her friend. "Didja see that, Mr. Wall? He smiled at me! The guy was a cutie! Even though I didn't really see his face... Still!"

"I saw, Harley." The wall replied, "Maybe we should go to sleep though. It's probably the middle of the night, y'know."

Harley could feel herself starting to yawn. Her body was feeling quite heavy too. Perhaps it hasn't woken up yet. "I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right. I'm you!" Said the wall. It's eyes followed Harley as she sat down and tried to make herself comfortable.

"That's true." The clown agreed, already slowly drifting off into her dreams.

...

Diana was worried.

It had only been few hours after Bruce had disappeared. Now, Clark had called the Founding Members of the Justice League for an emergency meeting.

Yes, Diana was very worried that something had happened to the Dark Knight.

All the other founding members were already seated around a large round table in the Watchtower meeting room when she arrived. Everyone was quiet. They were all clearly affected by what had happened only a few hours ago to Gotham.

News of Gotham's destruction had already spread like wildfire. Although it _would_ be hard to keep something like that a secret. Who wasn'tgonna notice a gigantic radioactive crater sitting where the most crime ridden city in the United States used to be?

The Leaguers watched the News Channels displayed before them in silence. Nobody was unaffected by what had happened, although their resident bat would be the most affected.

Diana pitied the Dark Knight. Gotham was everything to him. He had dedicated every waking moment of his life trying to save the city from itself. Now it was gone. One click of a button, and his life was destroyed.

Then there was his family. Diana shivered, remembering the sight of his dead family in the warehouse just outside of Gotham. The Detective had been kneeling there until the League had arrived, he had seemed to be too shocked to register the fact that everything was gone. He must be going through so much pain right now...

Finally, Shayera spoke up. "So," She looked at Clark. "Wanna explain why you have us up here at this ungodly hour?"

The Thanagarian pointed at her watch. Apparently it was two in the morning.

Superman was fidgeting with his cape. He anxiously looked at everyone, as if trying to think of the best way to tell them what had happened. He was about to say something, but was cut off when Green Arrow burst into the room. He seemed too focused on his task to realise or care that he was not allowed in the meeting room.

"There was a Joker killing in Arkham Asylum."

 _ ***This one was short. I spent the most time trying to write this tho. Maybe the next one will be better. Hopefully.***_

 _ ***I am eternally grateful for the reviews. Luv 'em. I don't think theres gonna be much romance tho. Maybe.***_

 _ ***Excited for Justice League. Dark Knights: Metal is rocking too. Can't wait for The batman who laugh's origin story to come out.***_


	4. Truth

Clarks mouth went dry the moment he saw all the bodies littering the Asylum floor. The guards were alive, thankfully, just unconscious. He couldn't say the same thing for the asylum patients.

As far as he could see or hear, every patient in every cell was dead. Clark opened the door to the nearest cell and walked inside. The patient inside was lying on the ground in a puddle of blood. The sides of his lips were cut open and arranged into a creepy smile. Clark could've sworn the patient's lifeless eyes seemed to stare straight at him.

"Oh Rao," Whispered the kryptonian as he took a step back. Had his friend really done such a thing? He gulped, wondering how on earth was he going to explain to the rest of the League that this was not caused by the Joker.

Diana was furious. Did the Joker's madness know no limits? Only a few hours after blowing up Gotham, the man had already decided that there was not enough lives taken and thought killing his fellw inmates in Arkham was the best way to celebrate his victory.

Once she got her hands on that scum, Diana would personally make sure to hurl the Joker so far into deep space that he'll never find his way back to earth again.

The air before her heated up, signaling the arrival of Flash. He had run around the Asylum to see if any of the asylum inmates were alive. The man took a step back when he saw the scary scowl on Diana's face.

"So," Spoke up John. "Anybody alive?"

The Green Lantern seemed agitated by his surroundings. He stood closer to the group and his ring glowed brighter that before. Diana had to agree though. She was by all accounts a brave warrior. But something about this place... It made her feel...scared.

Part of that was probably because of how much asylums appeared in horror films. Abandoned ones, that is. This one was quite close to being just that, though.

The irony was how much she enjoyed watching horror movies, criticizing how they were using the spells wrongly and comparing them to what she has faced in real life.

"The guards and doctors that work here are all alive." Barry reported, taking a bite out of his energy bar. How he could eat it here was beyond Diana.

"That's strange." Shayera knelt down beside a guard and checked for his pulse. "The Joker normally just kills everything that moves."

"Yeah. It's weird." The Scarlet Speedster was finishing up his food. "But the dead guys all have smiles on their faces."

"Are there any inmates still alive?" This time it was Clark. Diana turned to look at Barry, curious.

"Yes."

Everyone seemed surprised. "Who?"

"Harley Quinn"

The League became quiet at the mention of the psychotic clown's girlfriend. Then Diana spoke up. "So it really was the Joker."

"But the Joker is in our custody!" Pointed out the Martian Manhunter.

All heads turned to Superman, who had been put in charge of interrogating and guarding the Clown Prince of Crime. The Man of Steel suddenly seemed very interested in his feet.

"Clark Kent." The Princess of Themiscyra said in a dangerously low tone. She also looked furious. "What happened?"

Clark flinched. Diana just said her secret identity out loud. Sure, the founding members already knew, and everyone in the Asylum were unconscious, so it was fine. It intimidated him though. He managed to stammer out a weak "N-nothing"

"That was not convincing. Try again."

Clark sighed. He never had been really good at lying. And lying to a warrior of truth? Forget it. Bruce was much better at it than he ever will be. "Let's talk about this in the watchtower."

Diana couldn't believe it. The other League members were in disbelief themselves. According to Superman, the blood of so many people in Arkham Asylum were not on the Joker's hands. It was on one of their own.

Gotham had meant so much to the Batman. His family meant even more. To have all that taken away in one night... Well, Bruce had never been known to be good at dealing with grief.

It was still very surprising though, the thought that one of their most uncompromising and stubborn members would collapse. It seemed wrong. But according to Clark, that was exactly what had happened a few hours ago.

"So what do we do?" It was Barry. He seemed to be much more serious than usual.

"Simple." Answered Shayera, "We find Bruce Wayne. Beat the crap out of him, then lock him in the most secure cell on earth. Then station a few guards for good measure." She was well aware of Batman's uncanny ability to escape almost everything.

"We have to help him." Said Diana, "He's dealing with a lot right now. He did what he did out of frustration and confusion. We might have done the same if put under simillar circumstances."

"Diana..." This time, it was J'onn. "He killed. The League will not tolerate such behavior, even if he is one of the founding members."

"These guys had it coming for them, though." John spoke up. "The Joker killed thousands of people. And that was before he blew up Gotham. The rest of the inmates were no better. They deserved more than just a lifetime in prison."

The other members pondered on his words for a while. Then Shayera spoke up. "So we find Bruce Wayne, beat the snot out of him, then try and bring him back on our side?"

"No." Came a new voice. The heroes immediately turned to see who it was. Judging from his height, Diana guessed he was a teenager. He was wearing a red helmet that covered his face and a brown jacket. Underneath it was a black shirt with the symbol of a red bat. There was also lots of guns strapped to his belt. Nobody seemed to know who this was. They also didn't know how he managed to sneak into the meeting room without anyone noticing him.

"Finally. He's been waiting outside the meeting room for ages trying to make his dramatic entrance." They turned to look at the hologram that had appeared on the table. A familiar green face greeted them. It was Oracle.

The teenager cursed. "You ruined it, Oracle."

Barry was obviously confused. He pointed at the teen in the red helmet. "Who are you?"

"Red Hood, at your service." He replied.

"Who?"

"He's the second Robin," Explained Oracle, causing Red Hood to curse again. Diana noticed that the two seemed pretty close.

"Why do you always do this to me?" Asked Red Hood, to which Oracle responded with "Because I can."

"Jason?" Superman asked in disbelief, staring at the second Robin as if he had seen a ghost.

"Back from the dead." He confirmed, before getting pulled into a hug by the Man of Steel. The other Leaguers just stared in confusion. Neither Superman, Oracle or Red Hood elaborated on why Jason had received such a warm welcome.

"You're embarrassing me, Supes." Said the teenager as he tried his best to push Clark away, to no avail.

"So..." Started Shayera, trying to get everyone's attention. "Why did you say no to my suggestion?"

At this, Red Hood's mood seemed to darken. He pointed at the hologram where Oracle's face was projected. She had been replaced with the picture of a newspaper headline. Diana's eyes widened when she realized what she was reading. "Because Bruce Wayne is dead."

 _ ***Ayyyy yet another poorly written chapter. I tried my best. Please dont kill me. I read The Batman who Laughs origin the other day and it puts my fanfiction to shame. I should probably bury mine somewhere.***_

 _ ***I also watched Justice League. Bruce was funny. Barry was cute. Diana was gorgeous and badass. Victor was kinda emo. Arthur was funny too. No offence but I did not like the parts with Lois or Clark.**_ _ **(*Shameless batfan talking*)***_

 _ ***So now I know if you wanna defeat Batman, you say "Martha". To defeat Superman, You say "Lois Lane".***_

 _ ***Also thanks Lauriver4ever for the support! :D May the Force be with you!***_

 _ ***Btw I updated this again because there was some errors and I'm a procrastinating perfectionist.***_


	5. Death?

Harley punched the last guard escorting her in the face. THUNK! A gigantic comic style word bubble describing the impact popped up. The guard crumbled to the ground, finally losing consciousness.

She grinned and struck a cool pose. In her mind's eye, she looked fabulous. But really, she looked quite ridiculous in her orange prison jumpsuit.

"You should probably go now," Said a strange creature with an egg for a head and silver tentacles. He was standing beside the prison van that was used to transport Harley to gods know where.

"True," Agreed the cheerful woman, "Maybe I should." She moved her unconscious escorts to the side of the road and hopped onto the van, quickly starting it up and checking if her imaginary friend was buckled in before driving off.

 ** _-blip-_**

Green Arrow punched his practice dummy in frustration. So much has happened in so little time. Gotham getting blown up by the Joker. Joker getting killed by Bruce. (Don't be so surprised. Batman isn't the only guy that bugs the meeting room. It was a piece of cake without the bat around to notice. Oliver himself wasn't stupid either.) After that, the death of every inmate in Arkham.

Then Bruce decided to go ahead and die, or at least fake his death. The body had no scars from wounds sustained by his nightly activities, but anyone who didn't know about Bruce's night life wouldn't be able to tell that it wasn't him. The DNA was a perfect match.

 _But why would Bruce fake his death?_ Thought the Emerald Archer as he threw another punch at the practice dummy. Batman was well known for his "no kill" rule, but Oliver wouldn't blame the man for finally breaking it. The Joker had it coming. Hell, Oliver was surprised it took Bruce this long to finally kill the bastard.

The inmates in Arkham probably deserved it too. From the stories he's heard about that place and the people locked up there, Oliver was fairly sure they were all horrible human beings.

A loud beeping noise interrupted Oliver's thoughts. He stopped punching his poor practice dummy and walked towards the computer that had made the noise. Black Canary was already there, furiously typing away at the keyboard. Canary briefly lifted her head to acknowledge Green Arrow's presence before returning to the computer screens.

Dinah hurriedly stood up. She seemed either really panicked or really annoyed. Oliver could never really tell with her.

He grabbed her Dinah's arm before she could walk away. "Whats going on?"

Dinah seemed to be in a hurry. She quickly filled Green Arrow in on the situation. "It's Deathstroke," explained Canary. "I've been tracking his movements in star city, hoping I could catch him off guard."

Oliver nodded, urging her to continue.

"Something got to him before I could. There's been reports of shouting and gun shots in the warehouse he's been hiding in. I need to get there and see what's going on."

"I'll go with you."

Black Canary nodded and threw Green Arrow his bow and quiver. Together, the both of them rushed out of the Arrow Cave. (Dinah said that they should change it to the Quiver. Oliver is seriously considering this.)

 ** _-blip-_**

Slade didn't plan for this.

He stared at the man standing in front of him, too confused to even think of pulling out his guns.

Bruce Wayne, one of the richest (And might he add, dumbest.) man on Earth was standing right in front of him. And He had just declared that he was going to kill him.

It took all of Slade's willpower to just not laugh. Even so, you could obviously see the amusement on the older man's face.

"You?" Said Deathstroke, incredulous. "Kill me? Don't make me laugh."

He was surprised when two rectangular things shot out from Wayne's hand and lodged themselves into between the joints of both Slade's left and right arm, causing him to growl in pain. He had to admit, the man had surprisingly good aim.

Nothing Deathstroke couldn't handle, though. He pulled the sharp objects out and noticed that they were playing cards, both an image of the joker. They also seemed to be coated in some mysterious substance.

The Joker card seemed odd. How in the world had the man gotten his hands on it? The substance must've been Joker venom, considering it was from a Joker card. His venom had never really affected Slade before though, so he simply threw the cards to the side. The healing would kick in soon enough. All he had to do was deal with this idiot.

"I was gonna just laugh and show you the door." Said the mercenary. Deciding he wanted the Billionaire to suffer a painful death, Deathstroke drew his sword and got into a relaxed fighting stance. "Guess that won't be happening anymore."

Bruce only smiled and threw a pellet at Deathstroke's feet. Green gas immediately erupted from the small capsule and started to spread and engulf the mercenary, obscuring his view. He made the mistake of breathing in the gas and suddenly felt... happy?

Deathstroke could only realize that- too late -it was Joker gas before breaking down in a fit of giggles. He urged his brain to remain calm, knowing that his regenerative powers would kick in soon enough and force the gas out of the system. But after a few second passed, he found that nothing was happening and worked out that the mysterious substance was in fact not Joker venom. The substance was suppressing his powers.

"How did you-?" Was the only thing the mercenary could say before he started laughing again. Bruce smiled and slowly made his way towards him.

"Like it?" Asked the handsome man. He bent down to face a laughing deathstroke, pulling out a switchblade as he did so. "I made it just for you. Took me a hella long time, too."

He held up the laughing man's head by his hair. "Worth it."

Deathstroke's sides hurt. He could barely think straight. And judging by the situation, he seemed as good as dead. Fairly good odds. He was face to face with Wayne, so he had a pretty good idea of what to do.

He spat in his face.

Just as he had hoped, Wayne immediately dropped him to wipe his face. Seeing this as an opening, Deathstroke forced himself to get up and took out one of his guns. No time to savor his kill. He pulled the trigger.

 _BANG!_

The other man collapsed onto the ground. Deathstroke limped over to the table of weapons, exhausted from his laughing fit. The gas seemed to have worn off, and hopefully whatever that psychotic Billionaire had given him would eventually get out of his system. Even though he didn't really need his powers, it gave him an edge in fights.

He'll have to act fast. Their little fight probably alerted the Star City heroes. Slade didn't really want another fight in his hands right now. The faster he got out of here, the better.

"This is going to be fun."

Deathstroke immediately turned around to look at the man on the floor. He was already sitting up, a gigantic grin on his face.

"I killed you." The mercenary didn't seem the least bit surprised. He only cursed. Just his luck, going against a undead billionaire. Wayne probably died in Gotham and the radiation brought him back to life. Or something like that. Even in death, the guy had retained his good looks. Why only people like him had all the luck, Slade would never know.

"You missed." Wayne pointed over his head to where the bullet had actually hit. "Probably the gas. Sucks, doesn't it?"

"You have no idea." Replied Slade. Pampered billionaires like him probably never felt anything worse than falling down.

Said billionaire slowly made his way over to Slade. "I'm sure I have a pretty good idea." He was surprised Wayne didn't seem the least bit scared.

The only explanation he could come up with was that Wayne probably lost it.

Slade took up a pair of pistols and pointed them straight at Gotham's Prince. Surprisingly, the man didn't stop.

Yep. He has definitely lost it.

He shot the Billionaire twice more. This time, his aim was much better, though he still didn't hit his target. Wayne dodged both of the bullets with ease, surprising Slade. He even somehow managed to close the distance between the two in a few seconds and appear in front Slade. Something only one other person could do. That particular person also came from Gotham...

Slade smiled at the new revelation, despite getting grabbed by the other man and having a switchblade pointed at his neck. He never would've knew if Wayne never showed him.

"So," Started Deathstroke in a hoarse voice. The laughing from earlier had made his throat quite raw. "Batman?"

The Dark Knight Smiled. "Correct."

 _THUNK!_

 ** _*DUN DUN DUN! Yeah that sucked. Anyways! Sorry if I completely butchered Deathstroke's personality! I've only seen him in the comics once or twice (I don't read teen titans) and on Teen Titans:The Judas Contract. I got a "Really tough guy" vibe from him so I couldn't make him fall_** that **_easily! I also searched up his personality. It only said he had strict moral codes so yeah.*_**

 ** _*I actually didn't realize I was using the cartoon version of the Justice League! Jason and Barbara weren't mentioned when they said they saw the dead bodies. The Joker didn't kill them because he thinks they're both dead. Remember when he mentioned them just now? Foreshadowing!*_**

 ** _*Wow, what a treat! Such a long chapter! Batman giving out his identity left and right! (dont kill me) Horrible writing! No proof reading! (Dont tell I said that) Cliffhangers! (Was it good?)*_**

 ** _*I realized the cover photo of this fanfic was my cat profile pic. I changed it. Probably. Somebody tell me if its not changed.*_**


	6. Nope

_THUNK!_

An arrow flew past between Bruce and Deathstroke. Both men turned to see who had shot it. Green Arrow was standing a few feet away from the two, another arrow already ready to be fired.

Bruce grinned, something that Oliver had previously thought the Dark Knight was incapable of doing. Deathstroke looked both disappointed and grateful that Oliver had intervened. Maybe Slade had a plan, strategic mind and all that.

Black Canary dropped down from a stack of crates behind him. She seemed surprised to see Bruce here. Oliver had already informed her that the billionaire's corpse was fake, and both of them had spent a good few hours pondering why he had done such a thing. Dinah just didn't think Bruce would fake his death so that he could turn to a life of crime. Batman had seemed so incorruptible. The man had moral codes so strict that he once kicked Huntress off the Justice League just because she _attempted_ killing. The irony!

"Put. The weapons. Down." Commanded Green Arrow. His drawn bow was pointed at Bruce, who knew perfectly well the Emerald Archer would not miss and would _definitely_ shoot.

Bruce seemed to weigh his odds. A few seconds passed before he finally dropped his switchblade.

He kicked Slade, causing him to hunch over in pain and clutch his poor gut, cursing. Oliver could see a satisfied smile appear on Bruce's face. That seemed so... _wrong_ for some reason.

"Greetings, heroes." Started the man, acting as though he hadn't done anything worth noting for the two heroes. "What seems to be the problem?"

That seemed to snap Dinah out of her confusion.

"What's the _problem_?!" She was practically screaming. It was at these times Oliver was glad Dinah could control her power well. He really didn't need her canary cry to make things worse. Being deaf wasn't exactly on his agenda. "Bruce, you're killing!"

"Hmm..." Bruce turned towards Deathstroke, who was still lying on the ground, cursing like a sailor. "I wouldn't exactly say killing. More like... exterminating rats."

"By becoming one yourself?"

"Ha!" Apparently that sounded funny. Bruce wiped a fake tear from his cheeks. "Like you guys were doing any better."

That angered Black Canary. She let loose a Canary Cry Bruce's way and Green Arrow tried his best not to have his ear screamed off.

Bruce only rolled to the side, picking up Deathstroke's twin pistols and shooting off two rounds at the heroes. They both quickly jumped out of the way. Oliver shot his arrow at Bruce's leg, hoping to injure him, but the arrow was intercepted by a bullet midair, which made it change direction and fall. Oliver was impressed. Who knew the former Caped Crusader had such good aim?

Dinah, however was still furious from earlier.

"Guns?!" Asked Black Canary, sending Bruce's weapon of choice hateful glare. "What happened to no guns?"

The man before them was no longer the hero they knew. "What happened to Batman?"

The last sentence seemed to have gotten to Gotham's Prince. Green Arrow could see his smile falter. It was instead replaced by a cold glare that made it much more easier for Oliver to believe he was Batman. This was enough to tell him the man still had a conscience.

"Batman died when Gotham died." Replied Bruce, dropping his weapons and slowly making his way towards the two costumed heroes. Both heroes immediately tensed, getting ready for the inevitable fight that would surely happen. "Would you like to know what he did before he died?"

Oliver really didn't.

Bruce's lips curled into an unnatural smile. One that bore a striking resemblance to a particular Clown Prince of Crime. He head tilted slightly to the side, which added to his creep factor. "He killed the Joker."

The former Dark Knight wasted no time. He lunged at them and delivered a punch to Green Arrow's jaw, stunning the Emerald Archer. He then blocked off a kick by Canary, grabbing her leg and using her momentum to fling Dinah across the warehouse.

Oliver went for his bow and arrow immediately after recovering from the heavy blow to his jaw. He tried his best to ignore the pain, concentrating instead on trying not to hit Dinah with his arrows. Black Canary and Bruce exchanged blows, blocking and countering attacks with great skill. It was kind of like watching a well choreographed dance, which made it hard for Oliver to not stare. Their fight was mesmerizing.

Dinah grit her teeth when Bruce managed to land another punch on her. She was angry. That meant she was attacking too much and not defending enough. She had to keep her emotions under control. This would be one of her hardest fight yet.

She had frequently gone against Batman during training on the Watchtower. Even though she had lost every time, it gave her an advantage as she knew how he fought.

Imagine her surprise when Bruce _wasn't_ fighting the way she thought he would. His attacks were wild and random, the was no pattern to how he moved. He seemed to only deliver an inverted punch because he felt like it. His attacks were impossible to anticipate. Canary was slowly being overpowered.

Seeing as Dinah was slowly but surely losing the battle, Green Arrow decided to join the battle. This wasn't some one on one competition, anyways. They could cheat. Oliver lunged at Bruce from the left, while Dinah increased the speed of her attacks on the right.

Unfortunately, Green Arrow's attack was blocked. The two heroes struggled, before finally getting pushed back by the Billionaire.

Bruce grinned as he watched the heroes struggle to get back onto their feet. Then he promptly collapsed. Oliver and Dinah stared at Deathstroke, who was revealed to had knocked the former hero out.

"Jerk."

Then he passed out as well.

 ** _*Writing fighting sequences are hard. Thanks for the support btw!*_**

 ** _*The quality of this chapter probably has something to do with how fast I finished writing it. Forgive me, people.*_**

 ** _*Not even a thousand words. I am disappointed in myself.*_**


	7. Captured

Diana stared quietly at Bruce through the one-sided glass. The former Caped Crusader was in one of the special holding cells aboard the Watchtower, specially designed to hold metahumans and really, really talented people.

The holding cell itself was an empty square room, with walls made of reinforced one-sided glass on all four sides. The room was under surveillance 24/7, and the founding members had other league members lending their gifts to help keep prisoners under guard. This included various heroes' super-hearing, telepathy, and technology both alien and human.

The room was supposed to be inescapable. At least, thats what everyone was hoping. Word had spread across the superhero community about how the Batman had gone rogue, and was currently in the Justice League's custody. Frankly, nobody knew what to make of it.

Beside Diana, Clark was observing their friend, muttering something that Diana couldn't make out. He clearly sounded frustrated, and with good reason.

The two were standing guard outside the cell, waiting for the other founding members and the remainder of the Bat family to arrive so that they could begin interrogating Bruce. Nobody expected it to be easy.

The sound of several footsteps alerted Diana and Clark to the arrival of the rest of the founding members. A moment later, Red Hood dropped down from the ceiling while the door slid open to reveal Oracle, dressed in a purple T-shirt and jeans. She was wearing her glasses, and her fiery red hair was tied up. What surprised Diana however, was that her wheelchair was nowhere to be seen.

"Barbara!" Diana exclaimed. She momentarily forgot about the current grim situation and joyfully wraped Oracle in a hug. "Your legs! Praise the gods, they're healed!"

The rest congratulated her in a not so upbeat tone, not really feeling in the mood to celebrate. The amount of new developments during the past few days have been much more than what usually happened.

The redhead smiled. It was one of those smiles that didn't quite reach the eyes, a common smile among superheroes. Barbara herself was not feeling very joyful either. A thick silence fell upon the room. Nobody knew how to continue.

Clark awkwardly cleared his throat, trying to get the other heroes' attention.

"So," Started the Man of Steel, "How are we gonna get him to talk?"

Flash, being the fastest man alive, was the first one to respond. "That, is a very good question. Here's my answer: We don't."

"Ugh, seriously?" John facepalmed, sighing. "Flash, if you don't have a good solution, keep your mouth shut."

"He's the freaking Batman! There is absolutely no way he's gonna talk!" Barry threw both of his hands up, looking infuriated.

"Martian Manhunter could try and read his mind." Suggested Hawkgirl. She looked at J'onn hopefully.

"I could try." Replied the Martian, "But I sense Batman has very strong mental walls put up. It could take days for me to break through."

Diana frowned. A lot of things could happen in a few days. They needed something faster. What else could help accomplish their goal?

The solution hit her like a ton of bricks. The answer was so obvious, she almost wanted to hit herself for not thinking of it sooner. The Amazon's hands flew to her belt and she quickly took her lasso from it. The golden lasso immediately caught the others' attention.

"Nobody can lie to the Lasso of Truth." Diana lifted her lasso for the others to see. "This'll help us get what we want quickly."

She could see eyes in the room light up, as if everybody suddenly remembered Diana had the lasso of truth. Perhaps they had all been so preoccupied by all that had happend that they have forgotten.

Now that the league had all remembered that Diana did, in fact, owned the Lasso of truth though, everyone agreed it was the best solution. With that, Clark started to turn towards the cell door. Diana was about to follow when she felt a someone grabbing her wrist. She turned to see Barbara and Jason looking at her.

"Before you use that though, Me and Red Hood would like to try asking him first."

 ** _Okay, so I admit that this chapter was A)Poorly Written and B) Very short but I really wanted to put something out and it's really late. I'll give you guys something better in the next chapter! Probably! I hope!_**


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